The Childrens Courtyard
by DarkWolf2
Summary: "What are you doing?" She demanded. "Just returning some lost property" - A Remy fic, Gambits prepared to pay of his debt anyway he can..


Disclaimer: Wishing on stars just doesn't work. I own nothing in this bar my characters but if marvel want to buy them off me I'm sure something could be arranged hehe,kidding.   
AN: Feel free to use my characters just tell me where they are going.  
  
~~The Childrens courtyard~~  
  
  
Anxiety tugged at Bryony's insides. Twisting over and over into a mangled lump of dread. Life was getting harder, security getting harder to break. One of the younger girls was out on her first proper job. Of course she had thieving skills and the appropriate know how but in this type of business you needed first hand experience.  
  
They called themselves The Children's Courtyard not a very original name nonetheless a fitting one. There were sixteen kids currently under their care, human and mutant alike. Boys and girls ranging from four to fifteen. They fed them, clothed them, schooled then to the best of their abilities and of course taught them how to survive but most of them knew that already.   
  
Through her pounding headache she could hear Kate teaching some of the kids how to read. They had decided that would be the best thing to do especially if any of them were going to thieve. It wasn't any good if they robbed a library while thinking it was something else. A wry grin tugged at the corner at her mouth, that had happened to her and Allana once. It was funny now.  
  
Anyone would be a fool to think that they didn't steal nor were they a band of Robin hood and his merry men. Sometimes you just had to have the essentials like that leather jacket. Of course the kids didn't have to steal. The older six did that. They stole to feed them and occasionally they had to do more…that was difficult. None of the kids would have to do that. Yea some of them were pickpockets, couldn't be helped but two of them had actually got real jobs and she for one was proud of them.   
  
That wouldn't happen to all of them though, she knew that. Two of the guys once they hit twelve searched out the nearest mutant friendly gang to join. They used to have guys to look after the kids too but that had caused a lot of friction both among the six girls and their treatment of the younger girls. They had kicked them out pretty quick and hadn't given any guys control over the kids since. She shivered thinking back to it. After all it had only happened a year ago. The guys had seen them only as objects to be used…  
  
She rolled over on the makeshift settee, her headache steadily growing. Her mutation wasn't obvious but it gave her some of the most annoying headaches when it wanted. Especially today, usually she could pick up peoples languages fairly quick. A few sentences for most, a full day for the hardest. She just absorbed them, however she found it hard to remember them when she didn't constantly use it, she always relied on the other persons mind.  
  
Kate's voice drifted away, Ah, sleep that would be so pleasant right now.   
  
The dragging of scuffling feet made her turn to her side again. Blurrily she looked up at one of the younger members of the Courtyard. Sal, 7 years old and a notorious pickpocket.   
"Bri?" Her voice was hesitant. Nothing different about that, the girl was timid.   
  
However it was her body language that made her sit up. She was fidgeting, jumping from side to side.  
  
"Ah kinda ran into some trouble."  
"Kinda?" Bryony ran a critical eye over her looking for injuries that she would have to patch up.   
  
She swallowed. "Ah kinda got caught."  
  
Momentary relief washed over. She was still alive, she was here they had let her go, it was okay. All she had to do was give her a good talking to and keep her out of site for a month. That was if anything worse hadn't been done to her.  
  
"He made me show him where we lived."  
  
She froze, her insides churning over once more. Crap! Only her and Kate were currently here. The rest out on jobs, training or shopping. Fervently she wished Poisonheart was here. She had a certain way of acting that made any unwanted people leave quickly. She could be as cold as stone when she wanted to be and didn't seem have much of a problem with killing people.  
  
Standing up she moved into the alleyway. This would have to be dealt with. She would have to deal with it. It wasn't like she didn't know how to fight.  
  
It was dark but she could clearly see the red eyes staring out at her.  
  
"What do you want?" She put as much venom and confidence into her words as she could muster and drew herself up to her full height. Making sure Sal was placed behind her body. Never give them an extra advantage was one of Poisonhearts rules.   
  
He flashed her a smile and dropped the cigarette he was holding to the ground, putting it out with his foot.   
  
"Jus' returning some lost proper'y." He stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them.  
  
Her body tensed, her pain dimmed mind screaming at her. There's always a price. A price, a price. You will have to pay a price for Sal safety. Her mind mocked. She would pay it. Desperately she hoped that Sal had gone to warn Kate to get the others out. No use dragging them into it.   
  
He noticed the fear illuminate her face before her face set in grim determination.  
  
"De names Gambit."  
  
Gambit! She couldn't believe it, the prince of thieves. Here. She'd heard what he was meant to be doing for kids, helping them. She'd also heard some of the darker things about him. He could ask anything in return for not turning Sal in and to keep the Courtyard safe she'd have to do it.  
  
"Sandstone." She decided to use her working name rather than her real one.  
  
He nodded, his eyes taking in everything in front of him. She was sizing him up, ready for a fight if it came to blows. He sighed inwardly, he was frightening the girl without even trying and she was expecting something bad to happen. The emotions that rolled off her were pure fear.  
  
"I aint goin' t' d' anyt'in' t' y' petite."  
  
Bryony smiled thinly. So many had said that to her during her 19 years of life. None of them had being telling the truth.   
  
"Then leave please."   
  
"Petite dis ain't exactly a legal shelter you're running here."  
  
She cocked her head to one side. Altogether looking like a bemused bird.   
He knew about them and what they were trying to do, he knew they needed help bad.  
  
She snorted. "I don't think so." Why wouldn't he just go or at least tell her why he hadn't. It would be so much easier that way.  
  
Her headache grew and her vision dimmed momentarily. Then the ground swam up to meet her only it never got there. In two quick strides Gambit made a swift grab and picked her up.  
  
"Y' alrig't?"  
  
Damn. Never let them see that you're weak. Another one of Poisonheart's rules.   
Make friends when you can. One of Whitewater's rules.  
  
"No and if you don't want me to be sick over your shirt I suggest you put me down."  
  
He complied and she stood straight this time masking her pain on her face.   
  
Gambit glanced over her and then inconspicuously at his watch. He didn't have a lot of time left.   
"Would y' like fundin' for dis place?" He finally asked abruptly.  
  
Utter surprise crossed her face. "What!?"  
  
"Make dis place legal. A place fo' de children. How old ar' y'?"  
  
She answered automatically. "19."  
  
"An' de oldest 'ere?"  
"24."  
  
He grinned playfully and she suddenly got the image of a cat that had just being given cream.  
  
"Good. Gambit will 'ave no problem settin' up den. Jus' one t'ing." He searched her face, his gaze growing solem. "You'll 'ave t' give up thieving an' such."  
  
She nodded. "I-we will do our best to."   
Can't speak for Posionheart but I'll can wean myself off it eventually.  
  
"Heard of de "Childs hope" foundation. It'll be set up t'rough dat. An' don't mention dat I helped."  
  
He pushed a lock of hair out of his eyes and Bryony finally noticed how good looking he was once you knew he was on your side. She smiled as her mind translated the words. It was named well.   
  
Already ideas began to filter through of what they could do and achieve. She smiled again, it's warmth spreading through her. Startling him she reached forward and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." She whispered.   
  
His mind brightened.  
  
Slowly he was paying of life's debt.  
  
The end.  
  
  
PS: Please review, it makes me happy. :) Btw this was a very old story I wrote. 


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